Could Weather Modification Technology Mitigate the Risk of Forest Fires and Local Climate Change?

The effectiveness of weather modification technology (WMT) in reducing forest fire risk and influencing local climates is still a topic of ongoing research. This study examines the application of WMT to mitigate forest fires and local climate change in Ketapang Regency, West Kalimantan, Indonesia, over five years (2019-2023). This study utilized daily rainfall data from the Climate Hazard Group InfraRed Precipitation with Stations (CHIRPS), hotspot data from NASA's Fire Information for Resource Management System (FIRMS), and burned area data derived from the Differenced Normalized Burn Ratio (DNBR), all of which were analyzed using satellite imagery. Drought severity was evaluated using the Normalized Difference Drought Index (NDDI), generated from Sentinel-2 satellite data. A target-only statistical methodology was applied for the data analysis. The results indicated that the implementation of WMT in a relatively short period (from June 28 to July 10, 2023) was associated with a significant increase in rainfall (PCH=1.41), a substantial reduction in hotspot areas (PHS <1), and a decrease in burned areas (PLS<1). The drought severity index decreased in 70% of the areas during the WMT period. While these findings underscore the potential effectiveness of WMT on local climate change, the study recommends a thorough review and refinement of WMT implementation strategies. This would help optimize its impact on climate change and ensure consistent drought mitigation across different regions over longer observational periods.